Premier League Cancel Handshakes For Chelsea-QPR Match Over John Terry-Anton Ferdinand Row

The Premier League have scrapped plans for the traditional pre-match handshake between Chelsea and QPR, sparing John Terry from being snubbed by Anton Ferdinand.

QPR defender Ferdinand was apparently advised by his lawyers not to shake hands with Blues captain Terry prior to the clubs' Sunday fixture.

On 9 July, Terry will go on trial accused of racially abusing Ferdinand during the reverse fixture between the two teams at Loftus Road on 23 October.

Chelsea travelled to Loftus Road in January for a fourth round FA Cup tie and the pre-match handshakes were scrapped to avoid Ferdinand snubbing the Blues captain.

In February, Terry was stripped of the England captaincy after it emerged his trial would be delayed until after this summer's European Championship.

The decision, made by the Football Association, led to the resignation of Fabio capello as Three Lions coach, as he did not agree with the FA's ruling.

Former national team captain Terry was snubbed by Wayne Bridge two years ago when Chelsea hosted Manchester City in the Premier League after details emerged about Terry allegedly having an affair with the mother of Bridge's son.

Bridge snubs Terry:

This season Luis Suarez was forced to apologise for his conduct after he refused to shake Patrice Evra's hand during the 11 February Manchester United-Liverpool clash. In December, Suarez was banned for eight matches and fined £40,000 for racially abusing Evra.

"It's not a handshake that says everybody loves everybody else," he said.

"It's a handshake that says 'whatever's gone on before now and whatever will go on after this game is over, for the next 90 minutes, let's just play a game of football'.

"It's nothing more symbolic than that, which is why in our view, they should continue - period."

*WILLIAM HILL offer odds of 1/ 2 that Ferdinand and Terry will NOT shake hands during the pre-match ceremony prior to the Chelsea-QPR Premier League game on Sunday. It is 6/4 that they WILL shake hands.